Your Garden, Your Lifestyle

Mission Hills Garden Walk 2011“A Stroll Down Sunset Boulevard”by Jim Bishop and Martha Pehl, Co-ChairsMark your calendars for the thirteenth annual MissionHills Garden Walk—“A Stroll Down SunsetBoulevard”—which will take place on Saturday, May7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A wine reception will beheld at the Mission Hills Nursery from 3:00 to 4:30following the walk. Be sure to purchase your ticketsBring your friends and family for this fun annualevent, which is the primary fundraiser for the MissionHills Garden Club—tickets make great Mother’s Daygifts! Proceeds from this event fund all of the club’sdonations to wonderful projects, scholarships, andcommunity organizations. Commemorative T-shirts,food, beverages, and garden art will be available forpurchase at various sites during the walk.This year’s walk features gardens in several of theoldest neighborhoods along Sunset Boulevard inMission Hills. Our Sunset Boulevard is much olderthan the classic 1950s film noir movie (andsubsequent hit Broadway musical) of the same name.The first home in the area, Villa Orizaba, was built in1887, and subsequent subdivisions such as the originalMission Hills, Inspiration Heights, Florence Heights,and others were developed in the early twentiethcentury. The skyscraping Washingtonia palm trees thatline the street are some of the tallest and oldest in SanDiego and are a local landmark.While the neighborhood and homes date back almostone hundred years, the gardens have been wellmaintained, renewed, and enhanced for generations.To quote the immortal silent movie queen NormaDesmond as she dramatically descends the grandstaircase in her Beverly Hills mansion in SunsetBoulevard: “All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for myclose-up.” Our own Sunset Boulevard neighborhoodhas never been more ready for its close-up.Garden WalkPat Harrison Photographic Artbefore the day of the walk in order to save 5 perticket. Tickets are available online at our website(www.missionhillsgardenclub.org) and also at MissionHills Nursery, Walter Andersen Nursery (Point Loma),Cedros Gardens (Solana Beach), and ArmstrongNursery (Morena Boulevard). On the day of the walk,tickets will only be available at Mission Hills Nursery.Look for the 1908 Inspiration Heights street markersat Lomas Pass and Arden Way which inspired the logofor this year’s walk. Take time to experience thehistory and beauty of this unique community, of whichwe are justly proud. We hope that as you wanderthrough the gardens you’ll find as much enchantmentand inspiration in them as we did selecting themduring a stroll down Sunset Boulevard.Jim Bishop is co-chair of the 2011 Mission Hills Garden Walk and a boardmember of both San Diego Horticultural Society and Pacific Horticulture. InSeptember, he will begin serving as president of SDHS.Martha Pehl is co-chair of the 2011 Garden Walk and a supervisor of a retailstore at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns. Her family hasbeen in Mission Hills since 1908.Photo courtesy of and copyrighted by Pat Harrison Photographic Art.SPRING 2011 - PAGE 6

Out in the Garden:Love Is in the Airby Meredith FrenchMy, my . . . am I blushing? I’m thinking back to themiddle of March when a few of our feathered friendswere already hard at it, wooing mates, building nests,and . . . A few of them were just breezing through ontheir way to somewhere else: the tanager, cedarwaxwing, and rufous hummingbird, for example.Others remained here for the season to raise at leastone brood of newcomers during their stay.One such species is the house wren (Troglodytesaedon). This rather ho-hum-looking buff- or browncolored bird (four to five inches long with a cockytail) has a most beautiful song that just bubbles forth.They will actually stay in the birdhouses you set up,and some will return to the same one year after year.The yearly matingritual begins with themale trying very hardto lure the female tohis particularselection. She mayresist, however, andinsist that they moveinto one moreappealing to her—she parks herselfthere and will not gohouse wren wooing his matevisit his choice of MaleMeredith Frenchabode; this can go onfor several days. Once a selection is finally made, thepartners’ work begins . . . sort of. They remove anytrace of last year’s visit and the male begins to bringnew twigs. Often the twigs are too long, and it takessome figuring out to get them in. Meanwhile, thefemale sits smugly by and watches. She inspects thenest site, removes any twigs that do not pass muster,and then she adds the soft stuff.After another fifteen to nineteen days, the babiesannounce their presence with soft little noises; as theygrow, their vocalizations become more distinct andimpatient. The birdhouse sways back and forth as theymove around inside. The parents’ formerly beautifulsong turns to a threatening rattle if either of themsenses danger. Both work from dawn to dusk feedingthe hungry crew a variety of insects and caterpillars.Your creation of a brush pile will help their foragingefforts, so leave your greentrimmings at home rather thanshipping them to the landfill.Within another twenty days orso, two to three young onescrowd the entrance withgaping mouths, loudlyinsisting that this time theyhave surely been abandoned.Feeding timeOne baby is always the bully, Meredith Frenchleaving the others to wait theirturn; mom returning on the heels of dad insures thatthe others get fed. Faster than an eye blink, they areready to fledge—with the bully usually leading thecharge—and if you turn your back, you will miss it.The babies will hang around in nearby bushes whilethe parents continue to feed them for a while, buteventually (like all offspring!) they are on their own.Next spring they will continue these traditionsthemselves with their own broods. Place a birdhouseoutside your kitchen window and enjoy the show!Meredith French is a Master Gardener and professional photographer who haslived in the neighborhood for 42 years. Photos courtesy of and copyrighted byMeredith French.Call the Master Gardener Hotline(858) 694-2860Monday–Friday9am–3pm.for answers to home gardeningand pest control questions.It's FREE!SPRING 2011 - PAGE 7

Honey, I Have an Idea.by Pat HarrisonThere have been many changes in my Mission Hillsgarden since 1977 when I moved into this wonderful1915 Craftsman bungalow on Falcon Street. Backthen, I didn’t know a thing about gardens, but I didlove plants: I had morethan seventy houseplants inmy apartment, and I waseager to learn aboutdigging in the dirt. For theSucculentsPat Harrison Photographic Artfirst several years I had myhands full with fifty rosebushes and fifteen fruit trees. Over the years I learnedabout pruning, harvesting, canning, and caring for mynew responsibilities.After living in my home for more than thirty years, Idecided to undertake a much needed renovation to thehouse and garden. It all started with the desire to havenew carpet in the living room. The plan escalatedrather quickly: since I had to move heavy furniture,electronic equipment, and fragile china and crystal, Ieasily rationalized that if I was going to go to all thattrouble, I should paint as well. Then there was the factthat my chimney was about to collapse, and the roofhad too many layers and was definitely sagging.Wouldn’t it be nice if I replaced a long-absent garageto add needed storage? And while we’re at it, let’scompletely gut the kitchen and start over!In early 2008 I startedplanning the houserenovation—whichcarried over to the yard—because adding aplantsgarage would impact PottedPat Harrison Photographic Artthe backyard in asubstantial way. I worked with the City of San Diegoto get the necessary permits to rebuild the garage onthe property line—a feat in itself. Our plan was tobuild the garage first and empty the kitchen and officeinto it while we were doing the house renovations.We planned, and God laughed: of course, the twoprojects happened simultaneously. You hear peoplesay, “I couldn’t have done it without him”—and Ihave to add that I wouldn’t have done it withoutBruce, whose encouragement and guidance wascontinuous and wise. Bruce handled such projects asdrywall, gas lines, electrical, and water for the garage,and he built the fences, gates, and concrete base forthe shed; he also responded quite well to hearing mesay numerous times, “Honey, I have an idea . . .”Just when we thought we were done, the front yardscreamed for attention, and design and planting ideasflooded my head. However, I knew I might makecostly mistakes and poor choices, so I asked my friendChris Drayer, a landscape architect, for help. Hepresented a wonderfulplan for the project.First, we killed thelawn and removed italong with the concretewalkways, ten tons ofunderwaydirt, and all the plants RenovationPat Harrison Photographic Art(except the roses).Newly renovated house and gardenPat Harrison Photographic ArtThen, in the front yard, we installed brick walkwayslit at night by low pedestal Auroralights; Cotoneasterdammeri ‘Lowfast’ replaced the lawn; and we plantedtrees, including astrawberry tree(Arbutus ‘Marina’)and Cassia splendida‘ G o l d e n Wo n d e rSenna.’ Two tea trees(Leptospermum ‘Rubybackyard & patioGlow’) grace the front NewPat Harrison Photographic Artporch, along with(next page)SPRING 2011 - PagE 8

Honey, I Have an Idea. (from previous page)variegated bougainvillea. The front garden alsofeatures Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’ (variegatedmaiden grass), Sansevieria trifasciata‘Laurentii’ (variegated snake plant), Salvia ‘SantaBarbara,’ Pittosporum crassifolium ‘Nana,’ Bulbinefrutescens, Graptoveria ‘Fred Ives,’ and Tibouchinaheteromalla (Silver-leafed princess flower).Spring:From Small Seeds to Big Outcomesby Sabine StarrAhh, Spring. Even in sunny and mild San Diego,Spring is a wondrous and fertile time. It is a time fullof hopes and dreams. It is also the perfect time tomake a fresh start, to dream big and lay out an entiregarden. As we watch our plants grow, we can alsothink about what we want growing in our life.Every gardener knows there is no correlation betweenthe size of a seed and the size of the mature plant; atiny seed can grow into a tall oak tree. Similarly, aninspiration or goal always starts as a little seed in ourminds. It doesn’t need to be a big idea or somethingcompletely planned and organized from the beginning.It just needs to be there.Flower borderPat Harrison Photographic ArtMy garden was certified as a wildlife habitat site bythe National Wildlife Federation in 2010. To create awildlife habitat, you must provide elements from theeach of the following areas: Food (native plants, seeds/nuts, berries, fruit, nectar)Water (birdbath, pond, water garden, stream)Places for cover (thicket, rock pile, birdhouse)Places to raise young (dense shrubs, vegetation,nesting box, pond) Sustainable gardening practices (mulch, compost,rain garden, chemical-free fertilizer)Visit the National Wildlife Federation’s website forinformation on how to certify your garden. The firststep is to fill out a questionnaire online: at Harrison holds the degrees of Master Photographer and PhotographicCraftsman from the Professional Photographers of America. A Mission Hillsresident since 1977, she is a member of MHGC, MH Heritage, MH BusinessImprovement District, and MH Artists. Photos courtesy of and copyrighted by PatHarrison Photographic Art.I do not understand how anyone can live without onesmall place of enchantment to turn to.— Marjorie Kinnan RawlingsIt’s fascinating to note that a seed always knows whatit will grow up to be. Have you ever found a seed withan identity crisis, like a carrot seed refusing to growinto a carrot and trying to become a banana treeinstead? There is just no ambivalence, no waveringwith a seed. If only that were true for us. Self-doubt—doubt about who or what we are—can plague us overthe whole course of our lives.As we consider the determination and self-assuranceof a seed, we can examine what is true for ourselves.Do we believe that, like a seed, everything is laid outfor us at the moment of birth—who we will grow upto be—or do we have the freedom to become who andwhat we choose? Even though a seed becomes aparticular plant, there is still variation within that“limitation” in how the mature plant will turn out.Circumstances play a big part—sun exposure, soilquality and consistency, water, nutrients, pests, etc.We too are “thrown” into circumstances when we areborn. They might serve us, nurture us, and support us—or not. We are lucky to have the chance to growbeyond our given circumstances; we can pick up our“roots” and find a more nurturing environment so wecan grow into the best possible version of ourselves.(next page)SPRING 2011 - PAGE 9

Spring (from previous page)Look to seeds as an example and focus on what thefullest-grown version of yourself looks like. Listen, sitstill, and look inside. What are your talents, passions,needs? Just like the seeds you plant in the ground thisseason, it’s time to unfold, be inspired, and befertilized by your environment—hold on to the bigplant that you were meant to be. Happy Spring!Sabine Starr is MHGC Communications Chair, an enthusiastic gardener, and acertified life coach.In 1982, former first lady Lady Bird Johnson andactress Helen Hayes founded the National WildflowerResearch Center in Austin, Texas. Now called theLady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, theorganization’s mission is to protect and preserve NorthAmerica’s native plants and natural landscapes.Decades ago Mrs. Johnson recognized that ourcountry was losing its natural landscapes. Today, asmuch as thirty percent of the world’s native flora is atrisk of extinction.Why Native Plants?by Tait MoringEach region of the United States has its own specialcharacter. However, for years homeowners and thosein the landscape industry seemed to work very hard tomake every part of our nation look alike: Chinesephotinia, Japanese ligustrum, and English boxwoodwere sold and planted in huge quantities across thecountry. If someone wanted to landscape using plantsnative to their own area, they found it almostimpossible to purchase them.In 1969 Congress passed the National EnvironmentalPolicy Act (NEPA), which protects the naturalecosystems on federal lands and encourages the publicto consider the negative impact of using “introduced”plants rather than native vegetation in landscaping.The use of exotics creates a multitude of problems—one of the most serious issues is that many of thesenon-natives become invasive and compete withindigenous plants. Eventually, due in part to publicpressure and demand,many commercialnurseries finally beganspecializing in natives.Once people startedlandscaping with theseplants, they realized Texas home with native plantingsTait Moringtheir many benefits: less use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides less time and money spent on maintenance fewer plants lost to freezes or drought more water conservation more food and habitat for wildlifeRanch in Texas with native landscapingTait MoringThe Wildflower Center’s goal—to help preserve andrestore the natural beauty and richness of NorthAmerica—is being achieved through education andresearch. Visitors to the center are able to see a varietyof landscapes ranging from formal gardens to wetlandponds and relaxing wildflower meadows. Most peoplewho are unfamiliar with native landscapes aresurprised at the beauty and variety that can beachieved using plants that are naturally adapted to aspecific area.As the popularity of native landscaping grows, eachregion can retain its own unique character: Californiawill continue to look like California, and Texas willcontinue to look like Texas. Here are some resourcesfor information: Lady Bird Johnson WildflowerCenter: www.wildflower.org and the California NativePlant Society: www.cnps.org.Tait Moring is a registered landscape architect practicing in Austin, Texas.Photos courtesy of and copyrighted by Tait Moring.SPRING 2011 - PagE 10

Landscaping and Valueby Ginny OllisWe live in an urban environment, and we’re all wellaware of the stress we face each and every day.Happily, landscaping inside and out not only can stillthe soul and make the heart smile, but it also adds tento twenty percent to the value of our homes.Let’s look at one house as anexample. When the owners ofthis property bought thishouse, it was a fine exampleof how to obscure your homeand its architectural appeal.In need of an overhaulGinny OllisWith a lot of very smart thinking, they have createdsomething else altogether. For example, even thoughtheir home is on a typical fifty-by-one-hundred-footlot with neighbors close on each side, they havedefined their property with visual distinction andcreated a natural barrier at the back.A stunning new lookGinny OllisPlants displayed on the wallGinny OllisCalming influence of plantsGinny OllisWhile it is hard to determine the exact value thatlandscaping adds in a specific percentage, all realestate professionals (and most “civilians”) realizewhat is gained by framing our homes— and indeedThey framed the view fromthe master bedroom withrelaxing green and used thewall of the bedroom todisplay plants. They alsobrought the calminginfluence of greenery insidethe house, integratingindoors and outdoors andadding some “mellow” andsoftness to the interior.The comfort and beauty of natureGinny Ollisour lives—with the comfort and beauty of nature. Aquick drive down your own street will quickly provethe appeal of smart gardening. The home describedand pictured here was offered at 646.50 per squarefoot and sold in nine days, in a market where theaverage dollar-per-square foot is around 430 to 450.In looking at sales in the past six months, I wouldsuggest that the difference between a house with datedor negligible landscape and one that is smartly“dressed” would definitely exceed a 10 percent bonus(depending on the effectiveness of the design, thatcould reach 20 percent). The example above sold for30 percent above average market, just to note that Iam not exaggerating.Some of the most valuable landscaping includes notonly plants that appropriately define and enhance thearchitecture, but areas that create moments of specialinterest: vegetables growing among the flowers, waterfeatures, fruit trees and birdhouses, statuary andbunnies, tortoises and stones. Just as we invest in thefurnishings and accessories inside our homes, it isdollar wise to know that investing in our landscapeswill return at least as much gain.Ginny Ollis is a realtor, past president of the MH Business Improvement District,and founder and trustee of the MH Town Council. She is a passionate advocate ofall things Mission Hills. Photos courtesy of and copyrighted by Ginny Ollis.SPRING 2011 - PagE 11

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held at the Mission Hills Nursery from 3:00 to 4:30 following the walk. Be sure to purchase your tickets before the day of the walk in order to save 5 per ticket. Tickets are available online at our website (www.missionhillsgardenclub.org) and also at Mission Hills Nursery, Walter Andersen Nursery (Point Loma),